Adaptive risk-based verification and authentication platform

Abstract

In various exemplary embodiments, a system and associated method to perform an adaptive risk-based assessment of a user is disclosed. The method includes assigning a risk assessment process to the user and providing a plurality of assessment factors to the risk assessment process. The plurality of assessment factors are based on both the user (e.g., previously assessed factors, residence, phone number, address, etc.) and one or more actions the user may perform (e.g., selling an item in an electronic marketplace and the value of the item). A post-action analysis of the risk assessment process is performed. The risk assessment process can be modified based on a determination of the post-action analysis.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 receiving a request, from a user, to perform an action at an online marketplace, the action including at least one of buying, selling, and posting at the online marketplace; 
 retrieving a plurality of risk assessment factors associated with the action, the risk assessment factors including at least one of a phone number of the user, a locale of the user, value of an item associated with the action, category of an item associated with the action, the action type, a description of the item a listing site, and an Internet Protocol address of the user; 
 performing, using a hardware processor, a risk assessment process by feeding the risk assessment factors to a supervised learning algorithm, the risk assessment process identifying a risk mitigation process; 
 requesting that the user perform the risk mitigation process identified by the risk assessment process; 
 allowing the user to perform the action in response to the user completing the identified risk mitigation process; and 
 modifying the risk assessment process by adjusting one or more internal weights used by the supervised learning algorithm and based upon a result of a post-action analysis of the action. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of assessment factors are based upon both the user and one or more actions the user may perform. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim I, further comprising:
 performing the post-action analysis. 
 
     
     
       4. A machine-readable memory storing a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more hardware processors, causes at least one of the one or more hardware processors to perform:
 receiving a request, from a user, to perform an action at an online marketplace, the action including at least one of buying, selling, and posting at the online marketplace; 
 retrieving a plurality of risk assessment factors associated with the action, the risk assessment factors including at least one of a phone number of the user, a locale of the user, value of an item associated with the action, category of an item associated with the action, the action type, a description of the item, a listing site, and an Internet Protocol address of the user; 
 performing a risk assessment process by feeding the risk assessment factors to a supervised learning algorithm, the risk assessment process identifying a risk mitigation process using the user and the action, the risk mitigation process including one or more of identity verification, email verification, placing a credit card on file, and postal identity verification; 
 requesting that the user perform the risk mitigation process identified by the risk assessment process; 
 allowing the user to perform the action in response to the user completing the identified risk mitigation process; and 
 modifying the risk assessment process by adjusting one or more internal weights used by the supervised learning algorithm and based upon a result of a post-action analysis of the action. 
 
     
     
       5. The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 4 , wherein the instructions further cause the hardware processor to perform:
 performing the post-action analysis of the risk mitigation process. 
 
     
     
       6. A system comprising:
 a risk assessment hardware-based engine that
 receives a request, from a user, to perform an action at an online marketplace, the action including at least one of buying, selling, and posting at the online marketplace, 
 retrieves a plurality of risk assessment factors associated with the action, the risk assessment factors including at least one of a phone number of the user, a locale of the user, value of an item associated with the action, category of an item associated with the action, the action type, a description of the item, a listing site, and an Internet Protocol address of the user, and 
 performs a risk assessment process by feeding the risk assessment factors to a supervised learning algorithm, the risk assessment process identifying a risk mitigation process using the user and the action, the risk mitigation process including one or more of identity verification, email verification, placing a credit card on file, and postal identity verification; and 
 
 a risk mitigation engine that
 requests that the user perform the risk mitigation process identified by the risk assessment process, allows the user to perform the action in response to the user completing the identified risk mitigation process, and 
 modifies the risk assessment process by adjusting one or more internal weights used by the supervised learning algorithm and based upon a result of a post-action analysis of the action. 
 
 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the risk verification platform is further configured to compare an actual level of risk associated with the user with the initial level of risk associated with the user. 
     
     
       8. A system including a hardware processor, for performing an adaptive risk-based assessment, the system comprising:
 means for receiving a request, from a user, to perform an action at an online marketplace, the action including at least one of buying, selling, and posting at the online marketplace; 
 means for retrieving a plurality of risk assessment factors associated with the action, the risk assessment factors including at least one of a phone number of the user, a locale of the user, value of an item associated with the action, category of an item associated with the action, the action type, a description of the item, a listing site, and an Internet Protocol address of the user; 
 means for performing a risk assessment process by feeding the risk assessment factors to a supervised learning algorithm, the risk assessment process identifying a risk mitigation process using the user and the action, the risk mitigation process including one or more of identity verification, email verification, placing a credit card on file, and postal identity verification; 
 means for requesting that the user perform the risk mitigation process identified by the risk assessment process; 
 means for allowing the user to perform the action in response to the user completing the identified risk mitigation process; and 
 means for modifying the risk assessment process by adjusting one or more internal weights used by the supervised learning algorithm and based upon a result of a post-action analysis of the action.